Patience...

...is not actually a virtue. Did you know that?

But sometimes, having a little of it pays off.

I'm not know for my patience - apart from when it comes to taking care of children - but I've had to try and find some in the last few months as I wait and wait and wait and WAIT for answers from Agent A and to generally find some balance in my life.

Well, it has paid off in both ways!

Firstly, Agent A emailed me a couple of weeks ago to say that she likes my manuscript and would like to see it once I've made some adjustments! Mostly her notes were about lengthening it which I think it valid as it only currently weighs in at 35,000 words, pretty short, even for a Young Adult novel. So this week I've taken some holiday from work and am ploughing through it, making changes and adding more plot lines. I don't plan on making all of the changes that she has suggested, it still needs to be the novel I wanted to write, not one that I wrote to please someone else. Hopefully by Friday I'll be able to send it off to London once again and then the waiting can resume! But it's a big step forward just to get a response, I'd almost decided that it had been slung on the rubbish heap long ago!

Secondly, the job that I've wanted since I was 15 has fallen into my lap! I start in mid May and I literally cannot wait! It's a job as a Nanny for a private family and so I obviously can't go into details but put it this way - it's perfect! And it leaves me time to write so score all around!

Anyway, the point of this post is to say this: sometimes you have to hang on for the good things to happen. Just have patience!

Until next time,

Stay happy,

WG x

Choices.

Do you ever wish that your life was a novel that you could flick to the end to and find out how everything turned out?

I usually know where I'm headed and what I'm doing but lately I've been struggling to make some very important choices. Should I stay in my current job or go for the new one? Should I go back and rewrite an old story or carry on with the one I've been working on since November?

There have been other choices that are on my mind but they are more personal and I'll only let you know when I've made them!

A choice that all writers have to make is whether or not to get an agent.

To get published you can go down two routes; to get an agent and let them do the work or to go it alone and approach a publisher or editor without representation.

I have taken the agented route (and I'll have some news about Agent A in the next two weeks!) for the following reasons:

a) They are the experts. I've got more knowledge of the industry than most due to the Masters course that I did but I'm no expert. Agents know the industry inside and out and will know exactly which editors and publishers to target with your novel so you won't waste precious time and effort sending it out to people who won't be interested.

b) They can guide me. I've got a vague idea of the kind of writer that I want to be but I'm not completely sure how to get there. And a good agent will hopefully find me work that I wouldn't be able to find on my own.

c) They leave a writer free to do what they are supposed to be doing; write. Whilst they are dealing with contracts and wrangling you a higher advance, you can be free to just write and come up with the next best selling idea. A good agent will deal with all of the business side of things and you will only have to sign on the dotted line.

There are downsides to having an agent, of course. The main one is money. Most agents take between 10 and 12% of their clients profits. However, I personally think that this is worth it but it's a choice that everyone has to make individually.

Choosing an agent is also difficult. I wanted to find a small agency so that they would have more time to focus on me, rather than a bigger one in which I'd be just another writer in a big pool of them. But then, a bigger agency will have more money to put behind you...oh decisions!

The best way to find an agent that you think would be suitable for you would be to buy The Children's Artists & Writers Yearbook 2010 because it is literally the writers bible! Every agent and publisher in the UK (and some abroad) who deal in children's literature are listed, along with their details and the types (genre, age range) of literature that they deal in.

My advice would be to make a short list and then whittle it down to five by looking at their websites and trying to get a feel for them. Look at their client list and see if you would fit in with it. Then approach them but don't forget the number one golden rule...

ONLY APPROACH ONE AGENT AT A TIME!

Most agents hate it when writers do multiple submissions (i.e. when they send it to more than one agent at a time) so just send it to one agent and wait for their response. This can take up to six months so this is a very slow, but hopefully worth it, process. Just hang in there!

Anyway, those are my thoughts on being agented, I'll blog about going it alone in the next little while.

Hope everyone is well and good luck if you're trying to get agented - I know how tough it is!

See you soon,

Writer Girl x

Warning by Jenny Joseph

This is one of my favourite poems, there is something so vibrant about it and it is comforting to think that old age doesn't have to mean invisibility.

Warning by Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people’s gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Evermore, by Alyson Noel

After looking back at previous reviews, I realised that I haven't put up a review that is less than glowing. So, I thought I'd review this novel Evermore by Alyson Noel which didn't exactly jam my doughnut...

Synopsis: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

My thoughts: I found this book to be mediocre at best. The writing is flimsy in places and none of the characters seem to develop properly.

Noel also doesn't answer a whole range of questions that are set up which is frustrating for the reader and makes the ending unexciting.

I did like the pace and the interludes with Ever's younger sister Riley who was like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale narrative.

Overall, this could have been a much better and more interesting novel but instead it was lukewarm and I won't be reading the others.

**

P.S. Sorry if this doesn't make total sense, I've got a lovely dose of tonsilitus right now! WG x

Ghost Hunter, Michelle Paver

Synopsis: As winter approaches and Souls' Night draws near, the Eagle Owl Mage holds the clans in the grip of terror.

To fulfil his destiny, Torak must seek his lair in the Mountain of Ghosts. He must defy demons and tokoroths, and find his way through the Gorge of the Hidden People. Wolf must overcome terrible grief. Renn must make an agonizing decision.

And in the final battle against the Soul-Eater, Torak must face the most heart-rending choice of all.

My Thoughts: I picked up this book on a whim, not realising that it was the sixth and final book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.

That didn't matter at all.

The writing is so strong that I wasn't confused at any stage and was immediately swept into the story as Torak and Renn battle Eostra and the darkness that she brings with her.

I loved the way that Paver had written Wolf's sections, she pulls the reader into the animal's viewpoint effortlessly and makes them look at the world in a different way. I also liked the way that she paralleled the story of the humans with that of the wolves.

My only problem with it was that Eostra is defeated rather easily, after all the build-up I was expecting more of an epic battle.

Overall though, this is an interesting novel and Paver has an easy, flowing style that makes it difficult to put down.

I can't wait to go back and read the first five!

*****

The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

Synopsis: Sam Vimes is a man on the run. Yesterday he was a duke, a chief of police and the ambassador to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald.

Now, he has nothing but his native wit and the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya (don't ask). It's snowing. It's freezing. And if he can't make it through the forest to civilization there's going to be a terrible war.

But there are monsters on his trail. They're bright. They're fast. They're werewolves - and they're catching up.

"The Fifth Elephant" is Terry Pratchett's latest installment in the "Discworld" cycle, this time starring dwarfs, diplomacy, intrigue and big lumps of fat.

My Thoughts: I'm a massive Pratchett fan and this is my favourite one yet.

Once again, Pratchett has taken a big topic - this time politics - and wrapped it up in a hilarious, dramatic and fast paced story that pulls the reader along with it and doesn't let them go until the final page.

Vimes is developed even further in this one and his wife Sybill becomes less of a cartoon cut-out of a character and more like a real, well rounded person.

Angua's family are really interesting and give us a better view of who she is and where she came from. And her relationship with Carrot is deepened and made more important to the reader.

Overall, this is a brilliant Discworld novel - but then, what else would you expect from a master like Pratchett?

*****

The Enemy, Charlie Higson

Synopsis: They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...

When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive.

Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

My Thoughts: When I read the synopsis for this novel I was less than inspired by it. The idea is that every person over the age of fourteen has been struck down by a mystery virus that causes them to become wild, crazy and want to eat children. By the time the story starts, most of London is dead and only a few children survive, living in a Waitrose store, stalked and hunted by a group of feral grown-ups. A strange virus that has wiped out most of the population, leaving a few lone survivors to fight it out? Not the most original of ideas.

So, I started the novel with low expectations as I thought that it would be a mix of '28 Days Later', 'Survivors' and 'Gone'.

Oh how wrong I was.

Higson is a true genius, managing to take an horrific situation with a scattered group of children and turning it into a thrilling, terrifying story that drags the reader deep into the action and keeps the pages turning one after the other.

Each character - and there are a vast amount and array of them - has been carefully created and given time to establish themselves and their individual story. A particular favourite of mine - and I would think of many - is Small Sam as he battles to cross London to find his little sister. He is a brave and endearing character and the reader is anxious for him as his journey becomes more and more perilous.

There is no let up on the pace with this novel, Higson drags us along with his characters and moves the different story strands along quickly, never giving the reader a chance to get bored.

The real horror of this story comes from the simple idea at the heart of it. In our society, adults are there to protect, love and care for children. So what would happen if the adults were suddenly out for blood?

The ending is brilliant as it sets up the sequel but still leaves the reader feeling satisfied that the characters have reached a conclusion - of sorts.

I cannot WAIT for the second novel in this series - Higson has quickly become my new favourite author.

*****

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A VERY VIOLENT NOVEL AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13.

Genesis, by Bernard Beckett

Synopsis:

Anax is about to face her examination for the Academy, the institution which safeguards her society. The subject is close to her heart: Adam, a man whose struggle transformed the course of her country. But the examination by the panel will reveal new twists to Adam's history. Twists that will undermine Anax's assumptions about her country and who she is. But why is the Academy allowing Anax to open up the enigma at its heart?

My Thoughts:

I read this novel in one go because it gripped me from the very first page and wouldn't let me go until the end.

The text is very sparse and there isn't a single word that doesn't need to be there. Anax is both a sympathetic protagonist and an insightful narrator as she guides the reader through the complex twists and turns of the Academy.

At the heart of this thoughtful, brilliantly written novel is the single question: What does it really mean to be human?

Highly recommended for people who like to have something to think about at the end of a novel.

*****

Old Habits Die Hard!

Every writer has their own way of doing things, some like to plan every tiny detail of a piece before they start and others prefer to just wing it and see what happens. And almost every writer that I know, has their own rituals and habits that surround their work.

I know I do!

I'm the kind of writer that doesn't plan anything, I just start writing and see what comes out. This is odd because in every other aspect of my life I'm always quite controlled and usually have a list to hand. I've tried planning a piece before, writing a list of chapters and what they will contain and a character profile to match. This has never worked for me though, it's better if I just relax and let it happen.

As for my habits, I have a very specific way of working:

- I have to write at night, usually between the hours of 9pm-3am, depending on how good of a writing day it is.

- I always light candles and turn the lights off. This helps me relax and focus on what I'm doing.

- I always have music playing, usually quite loudly. For each major piece of work, I've always found a 'muse', that is either a band or artist whose music particularly inspired that piece. Sometimes the music is fitting - for example, when I was writing my teen fiction novel, I was struck by Taylor Swift's music - but sometimes it can be completely random.

- I always drink loads of water. I'm not sure if this is because it helps me stay awake through the night or if it's because it gives me a good excuse to get up and procrastinate every so often, but I always drink the most amount of water during the day when I'm writing.

- And finally, I always wear my pj's. This might seem an obvious thing to say, seeing as I always write at night, but it's really important for me to be completely comfortable and relaxed.

Like I said, all writers have different habits, ways of working and rituals and it is often a trial and error process to find things that work.

So, now I'm off to light the candles, get the music pumping and write some pages...500 words a night is a must!

See you soon,

Writer Girl xxx

The Undrowed Child, by Michelle Lovric

I'm not planning on reviewing all of the books that I read - I read at least four a week so that would take far too long! - but just the best and the worst.

Here is my first...

Writer Girl xxx

The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric

Synopsis: It's the beginning of the 20th century; the age of scientific progress. But for Venice the future looks bleak. A conference of scientists assembles to address the problems, among whose delegates are the parents of eleven-year-old Teodora.

Within days of her arrival, she is subsumed into the secret life of Venice: a world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets and librarians turn fluidly into cats.

A battle against forces determined to destroy the city once and for all quickly ensues. Only Teo, the undrowned child who survived a tragic accident as a baby, can go 'between-the-linings' to subvert evil and restore order.

My thoughts:

This is a highly imaginative novel in which Lovric has effortlessly created a whole world that the reader feels comfortable and safe in.

Teo is an interesting protagonist who doesn't take on the clichéd role of the 'feisty female' but instead takes us on a learning curve as she goes from being a lonely, isolated child who feels unconnected from everything to one who is in the middle of the action and who finds that there are others like her.

Renzo also changes throughout the novel as he goes from being pompous and quite irritating at the beginning to being a genuinely sympathetic character by the end.

The novel is fast paced and full of action but also manages to have quiet moments that bring the reader closer to the story and the characters.

I loved the mermaids in particular, they are refreshingly brash and a move away from the Disney versions of sugar-sweet beauties that have become the norm.

Bajamonte Tiepolo is a brilliant antagonist as he is creepy and gruesome but also pathetic and desperate and the reader gets to see all sides of him.

There were some flaws however. Teo and Renzo are supposed to be eleven but some of their language felt more like that of a thirteen or fourteen year old. And the beginnings of their 'romance' also felt uncomfortable given their age. I felt like we never quite got to the bottom of Teo's story and I wanted to know more about her real parents as it would have made her feel more solid. And I wanted more of a spectacular ending to the battle as it is what the whole book had been building towards, I felt it fizzled slowly out instead.

However, overall I thoroughly enjoyed Lovric's first foray into children's literature as it is interesting, well written and never speaks down to its reader.

I will be keeping an eye out for her next children's book and would highly recommend this one!

*****

The Waiting Game...

Ever since I was a child I've been terrible at waiting. So why on earth did I decide to try to get into an industry that is 95% about waiting?!

I sent off the first three chapters of my manuscript to Agent A at the beginning of October and was amazed to get a response three days later asking for the full novel. I sent it off straight away and got confirmation that it had arrived the following week (that was the week of the postal strikes and I live in the back of beyond so it wasn't a surprise that it took so long to make it there). I then got an email from the agent herself a couple of days after that saying that she was reading it that week.

And then...I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

And then I waited some more.

It's been four weeks now and I'm not sure if the silence from the agent is a good thing; does it mean that she is considering it and talking to other people about it? Or has she already turned me down and the letter just hasn't got here yet?

Only time will tell. And until then I guess I'll just...wait.

Writer Girl xxx

P.S. Take a look at this blog: http://grace-beautifullyawkward.blogspot.com/ it's written by a very good friend of mine, she's the one that got me onto here in the first place! Her blog is all about art and she really knows what she's talking about! X

Hello!

Welcome to my blog!

Well, seeing as this is my first blog on here, I thought that I'd use it to introduce myself and what I do!

I'm Writer Girl, I'm 22 and I've just finished a Masters degree in Writing For Young People.

I have been addicted to books since I was tiny and can usually be found with my nose in one! All though school I loved English and it was my strongest subject by a very long way. Luckily I had a brilliant English Literature teacher who encouraged me and I eventually got into writing. After doing two A Levels in English I ended up on an English Literature degree at university. I took a Creative Writing module by chance in my first semester and the rest, as they say, is history! I changed my degree in the second year to make it an English Literature/Creative Writing one and then followed it with a Masters degree.

As part of my MA I wrote a teenage novel called Emerald which is based around a friendship between two teenage girls that goes very wrong. It is very dark and was not what I expected to write but it's what came out and I'm very proud of it.

I also write picture books, fantasy fiction and short stories and hope to one day be able to make a living from it. However, at the moment I'm unemployed and looking for work! But that is very often how it goes!

I sent Emerald to an agent a few weeks ago (we'll call them Agent A for now!) and was asked to send my full manuscript a few days later. I was very excited as I had expected a flat rejection and am now waiting on tenterhooks for a final response!

This blog will be about my progress as I go through the process of getting agented and published as well as general chat about my life and occasional bits of creative writing.

Thanks for taking a look, I'll post every few days.

See you soon,

Writer Girl xxx